Career Timeline of Tommy Tuberville: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Tommy Tuberville built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Tommy Tuberville is an American politician and former college football coach. He currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Alabama, a position he has held since 2021. Prior to his political career, Tuberville had a successful coaching career, serving as head football coach at several universities, including Auburn University (1999-2008), the University of Mississippi (1995-1998), Texas Tech University (2010-2012), and the University of Cincinnati (2013-2016).

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

1951: Previous Winning Season

In 1951 DeWitt Weaver had a winning season for Texas Tech.

1982: Auburn Broke Alabama's Winning Streak

Tommy Tuberville led Auburn to six straight victories over in-state rival Alabama, the longest win streak in this rivalry since 1982, the year Auburn broke Alabama's nine-year winning streak.

1986: Assistant Coach at University of Miami

In 1986, Tommy Tuberville was an assistant coach at the University of Miami. He stayed there till 1994.

1993: Defensive Coordinator at Miami

By 1993, Tommy Tuberville was the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami.

1994: Head Coaching Job at Ole Miss

In 1994, Tommy Tuberville got his first collegiate head coaching job at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).

1994: Defensive Coordinator at Texas A&M

In 1994, Tommy Tuberville replaced Bob Davie as defensive coordinator under R. C. Slocum at Texas A&M University.

1995: Head Football Coach at Mississippi

In 1995, Tommy Tuberville became the head football coach at the University of Mississippi, a role he held until 1998.

1998: Departure from Ole Miss

After the 1998 regular season, Tommy Tuberville initially stated he would not leave Ole Miss, but departed for Auburn less than a week later.

1998: Took Head Coaching Job at Auburn

After the 1998 season, Tommy Tuberville left Ole Miss to take the head coaching job at Auburn University in Alabama.

1998: End of Mississippi Coaching

Tommy Tuberville's role as the head football coach at the University of Mississippi ended in 1998.

1999: Head Football Coach at Auburn University

In 1999, Tommy Tuberville became the head football coach at Auburn University, a position he held until 2008.

2004: SEC Championship and Western Division Title

In 2004, Tommy Tuberville guided Auburn to the top of the SEC standings, leading them to an SEC championship and the Western Division title.

2004: Previous Season Success

In 2004, the team had an unbeaten season.

2004: Big Game Successes Started

Tommy Tuberville established himself as one of the best big-game coaches in college football, winning 9 of his last 15 games against top-10 opponents since the start of the 2004 season.

2005: Auburn's 9-3 Season

In 2005, despite losing the entire starting backfield from the unbeaten 2004 team to the NFL draft, Tommy Tuberville led Auburn to a 9-3 record, finishing the regular season with victories over rivals Georgia and Alabama.

2006: Wins Against Top-5 Teams

In 2006, Tommy Tuberville's Auburn team beat two top-5 teams that later played in BCS bowls, including eventual BCS Champion Florida.

2007: 100th Career Win

In 2007, Tommy Tuberville earned his 100th career win as a football coach.

October 8, 2008: Fired Tony Franklin

On October 8, 2008, Tommy Tuberville fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin.

December 2008: Formed TS Capital Management

After resigning from Auburn in December 2008, Tommy Tuberville formed a partnership with John David Stroud to create TS Capital Management and TS Capital Partners.

2008: End of Auburn University Coaching

Tommy Tuberville's tenure as the head football coach at Auburn University concluded in 2008.

2009: Analyst and Cameo

In 2009, Tommy Tuberville worked as an analyst for Buster Sports and ESPN and made a cameo appearance in the film "The Blind Side".

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December 31, 2009: Expressed Interest in Texas Tech Job

On December 31, 2009, Tommy Tuberville expressed interest in becoming head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders after Mike Leach was fired.

January 9, 2010: Named Head Coach at Texas Tech

On January 9, 2010, Tommy Tuberville was named head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

2010: Head Football Coach at Texas Tech

In 2010, Tommy Tuberville became the head football coach at Texas Tech University, a position he held until 2012.

January 1, 2011: Won Bowl Game

On January 1, 2011, Tommy Tuberville became the second head coach in Texas Tech football history to win a bowl game in his first season. The game was a 45-38 victory over Northwestern in the inaugural TicketCity Bowl.

January 18, 2011: Contract Extension and Raise

On January 18, 2011, Texas Tech announced that Tommy Tuberville received a one-year contract extension and a $500,000 per year raise.

December 8, 2012: Resigned from Texas Tech

On December 8, 2012, Tommy Tuberville resigned as head coach at Texas Tech in order to become the 38th head coach at the University of Cincinnati.

2012: End of Texas Tech Coaching

Tommy Tuberville's tenure as the head football coach at Texas Tech University concluded in 2012.

2013: Head Football Coach at Cincinnati

In 2013, Tommy Tuberville became the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, a role he held until 2016.

2014: Patrick Mahomes played at Texas Tech

From 2014 to 2016 Patrick Mahomes played at Texas Tech.

2015: President of American Football Coaches Association

In 2015, Tommy Tuberville served as the president of the American Football Coaches Association.

2015: End of Contract

In 2015, Tommy Tuberville's contract was slated to expire.

December 4, 2016: Resigned as Head Coach of Cincinnati

On December 4, 2016, after a 4-8 season, Tommy Tuberville resigned as head coach of Cincinnati.

2016: Patrick Mahomes played at Texas Tech

From 2014 to 2016 Patrick Mahomes played at Texas Tech.

2016: End of Cincinnati Coaching

Tommy Tuberville's tenure as the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati ended in 2016.

2017: ESPN Analyst

In 2017, Tommy Tuberville worked for ESPN as a color analyst for its college football coverage.

August 2018: Tuberville moves to Alabama

In August 2018, Tommy Tuberville relocated from Florida to Alabama with the intention of running for the U.S. Senate in 2020.

April 2019: Tuberville announces run for U.S. Senate in 2020

In April 2019, Tommy Tuberville announced his candidacy for the 2020 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Doug Jones.

March 3, 2020: Tuberville leads in Republican primary, but runoff required

On March 3, 2020, Tommy Tuberville received 33.4% of the vote in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, ahead of Jeff Sessions (31.6%), but a runoff election was required as neither candidate surpassed 50% of the vote.

November 26, 2020: Tuberville announces Stephen Boyd as chief of staff

On November 26, 2020, Tommy Tuberville announced that his chief of staff would be Stephen Boyd, who had been serving as assistant attorney general for the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice.

2020: Tuberville's low-profile campaign for Senate

In 2020, Tommy Tuberville ran a "low-profile" campaign for U.S. Senate, closely allying himself with President Donald Trump. Sean Spicer, former White House press secretary, was a member of his campaign staff.

2020: Won Senate Election in Alabama

In 2020, Tommy Tuberville won the Republican nomination for the Senate election in Alabama, defeating Democratic incumbent Doug Jones. He allied himself with President Donald Trump and attempted to overturn Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

2021: Became Senator from Alabama

In 2021, Tommy Tuberville became the senior United States senator from Alabama, a seat he has held since then.

May 2022: Tuberville introduces Financial Freedom Act of 2022

In May 2022, Tommy Tuberville introduced the Financial Freedom Act of 2022, which would allow for the inclusion of cryptocurrency in individual retirement accounts.

February 1, 2023: Committee assignments announced

On February 1, 2023, Tommy Tuberville announced his committee assignments for the 118th Congress.

2023: Became Alabama's Senior Senator

In 2023, Tommy Tuberville became Alabama's senior senator after Senator Richard Shelby retired.

November 12, 2024: Tuberville announces his candidacy for reelection

On November 12, 2024, Tommy Tuberville announced his candidacy for reelection for a second term in the 2026 elections.

March 11, 2025: Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing

On March 11, 2025, at a Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing, Tommy Tuberville mentioned that private companies with proprietary technology had solicited him for contracts to operate at the VA, suggesting they would benefit the VA.